The Weekend

On the way to Umar’s piano class on Saturday, Umar told me of the story his ustaz read in front of his class. It is about a doyol who one day got angry and demanded blood. He was really animated and I was mesmerized by his interest. As usual when he was having his lesson, Elsa and I trailed the shops in the mall. I entered the local bookshop and found books on Malay ghosts for children. There were Malay and English versions and with illustrations. I remember him telling me that he looked at the book his ustaz used and there was a picture of a female with long hair and sharp claws standing by a sleeping woman. I found one titled “ The Female Vampire “ with the cover illustrated just like my son described and therefore bought it. Anything to help instill the love of reading in my son. ( I know I will have no problem with Elsa because as we were looking at the books, she was happily inspecting a few when she gasped. She grabbed a Pokemon book but when she opened them, it was totally devoid of any pictures. It was a novel of some sort I think. She scanned through the book and went “ isk, isk “ all the way. “ Mum, no pictures !! “ She said in frustration. “ Titi nak learn baca ABCDEFG ni, “. Oh kesian, she wants to learn how to read. She wants to make heads and tails of the book. Kesiannya…. )

Elsa and her books. Everyday she will ferry a selection of book to and fro.

Umar was really happy with the book. He is just like me. In order to savour the book for as long as he could, he looked at the pictures first. Whole of Saturday he asked us to read it to him. He didn’t want to read it by himself ( I read it to Elsa’s gasps and Whoa… and Hantuuuuu……). Only yesterday did he start on his own and he did that many, many times. However the repercussion was felt late last night. He totally refused to sleep in his room. Dan had to tuck a Yassin ( Dan told him Yassin, it is actually buku Mari Belajar Sembahyang ) under his pillow and I had to stay with him until he drifted to sleep, reciting the 3 Quls over and over again. I vowed that that will be the last book on ghosts I buy but this morning he chirpily said that he can’t wait for me to buy the next instalment on Doyol next week. Hmmm………..

Last night too saw Elsa falling off the bed after jumping up and down happily with her cousin. Dan had asked her to stop many, many times and when she fell, her Babah was understandably upset. Dan went to inspect her with fire in his mouth and when found that she was okay, asked her to stay in her room. Dan left the wailing Elsa and closed the door of our room, to teach her a lesson. Fine. Umar was in the room with me doing revisions ( he is having his exams tomorrow ) and we were just spectators to the drama that unfolded in the other room. Umar however jumped off the bed when his Babah closed the door. He was jittery and mumbled a few sentences. He then gave up and just the left room. He actually went to his sister’s aid, calming her down and telling her everything is okay. He apparently found Dan’s once over on Elsa was not thorough enough and checked his sister carefully from head to toe. He then asked Elsa in details what happened and I saw my little girl re-enacted the accident.

The sweet, sweet boy than tentatively approached his father and explained why it is not his little sister’s fault at all.

Maybe he was trying to repay the good deed Elsa did for him earlier. He was trying to peel of his stickers without success. He tried to enlist for my help but as I was writing a report and was brimming with ideas, asked him to wait. His frustration was getting louder when Elsa finally took notice.

“Um, kenapa Um ? “ asked his little sister.

“ Ni, tak boleh bukak. Susah. “ Elsa took a look at it and was successful after a few attempts. He he… comelnya korang ni.

However not so comel is Elsa’s new habit. She likes to ho hum and sighs a lot nowadays. Whenever I asked her what is the matter, if anything is wrong, she would say, “ Tak de apa – apa, “ and shrugs her shoulders. Even Babah had asked her a few times and the answers are the same. Last night though Umar has had enough. “ Ti, you only make that sound when you are bored or angry. Not when ‘tak de apa – apa’, “ The funny part if he squeaked when he said “tak de apa – apa”.

Mummy's rehat

Last 2 days, as I was still busy getting ready for work, my little daughter who jumped into our bed some time during the night, woke up.

Titi : Mummy mana ? ( hair as usual pontianak style, extremely tousled can’t even see her face )

Babah : Mummy kat situ Titi..

Titi : Mummy tak work kan ?

Mummy : Eh, Mummy work.

Titi : Tak…. Mummy tak work.

Mummy : Eh, I told you kan yesterday that I am working.

Titi : Mummy… mummy tak work…

Mummy : Kenapa sayang ?

Titi : Mummy tak sayang Titi.

Mummy : Eii ? Tak lah. Mummy kan sayang Titi.

Titi : Haa….. ( and rested her head on my lap )

Kesian…….

Yesterday morning saw me cutting a jam roll and placing them in a Tupperware. Umar who was having his breakfast asked me;

Umar : Is that for your rehat Mum ?

Mum : Yes.

Umar : After you rehat kan, you go back to your desk and do your work.

Mum : Yes.

Umar : At school kan during rehat kan me and my friends play. I have a lot of friends in school. What about you ?

Mum : Well, I have about 3 people that I hang out with and sometimes 4.

Umar : Is that all ?

Mum : Well, there are plenty other but these are the people that I usually play with.

Umar : Wow, I usually have more than that Mum and it is so fun….

Yelah, kau lah yang popular….

Spiderman

Since my son started primary school I have been hearing strange stories told to him by friends. I expected this. I mean I were a kid once too ( and that was not so long ago yeah ? ) and I know only kids are capable of concocting tales like that.

Umar is also very descriptive of the things he did at school, when he wishes to tell me, of course. Anywhere yesterday he told me about the game he and his classmates played during recess.

Umar : Hamshah is Spiderman, A is is Spiderman 2, B is Harry, C is Venom and I was the Sandman.

Mum : Why were you the Sandman ? I thought you would want to be Spiderman ?

Umar : Because Hamshah started it first so he gets to choose who played Spiderman. He told me to play Sandman.

Mum : So, who was MJ ?

( He blushed and gave me this weird smile he sported when there are embarrassing scenes or scenes involving girls of romantic nature on telly ).

Umar : Mum, kita main lawan – lawanlah. Mana ada girls.

Mum : But dalam cerita Spiderman ada MJ and she always needs rescuing.

Umar : Mum…. No girls mum. Kita main lawan – lawan saja.

Mum : I know… Why don’t you invite Hannah to play ? She can be MJ and then Sandman and Venom can kidnap her and then Spidermans and Harry can rescue her.

Umar : No Mum. Hannah cannot play. Don’t you know Hamshah don’t like girls ?

Hmmm….. pulak.

Since my son started primary school I have been hearing strange stories told to him by friends. I expected this. I mean I were a kid once too ( and that was not so long ago yeah ? ) and I know only kids are capable of concocting tales like that.

Umar is also very descriptive of the things he did at school, when he wishes to tell me, of course. Anywhere yesterday he told me about the game he and his classmates played during recess.

Umar : Hamshah is Spiderman, A is is Spiderman 2, B is Harry, C is Venom and I was the Sandman.

Mum : Why were you the Sandman ? I thought you would want to be Spiderman ?

Umar : Because Hamshah started it first so he gets to choose who played Spiderman. He told me to play Sandman.

Mum : So, who was MJ ?

( He blushed and gave me this weird smile he sported when there are embarrassing scenes or scenes involving girls of romantic nature on telly ).

Umar : Mum, kita main lawan – lawanlah. Mana ada girls.

Mum : But dalam cerita Spiderman ada MJ and she always needs rescuing.

Umar : Mum…. No girls mum. Kita main lawan – lawan saja.

Mum : I know… Why don’t you invite Hannah to play ? She can be MJ and then Sandman and Venom can kidnap her and then Spidermans and Harry can rescue her.

Umar : No Mum. Hannah cannot play. Don’t you know Hamshah don’t like girls ?

Hmmm….. pulak.

Mother's Day

We went to Subang Parade on Sunday and people were celebrating their mothers everywhere. I saw a mother waiting outside the building, maybe for her ride home, with her grown up son when suddenly her daughter jumped from behind and surprised her with a huge bouquet of flowers. So sweet.

I was walking with my family. I was holding hands with my son when he suddenly tugged his hand free and walked behind me with his Babah. I heard whisperings and then furious whisperings and then his father’s “ What ? I couldn’t hear you ? “.

My son let out a “ Arrgghhh ! “ and yelled “ I want money to buy Mummy a present !! “ He he… I was embarrassed, my son was embarrassed. I then turned livid when my husband gave him RM 10. Aik ?

I curiously asked my son where does he intend to buy my gift and he said, “ Book store. I know you love books,”. What a thoughtful and observant son. I was beaming with pride. I then looked pointedly at the offending RM 10 and asked my husband what kind of book would I get with RM 10 ? Dan sighed, took back the red currency and replaced it with a crispy dark blue one. Now we are talking.

Bliss……

Elsa that night also requested stuffs from her Babah ( Dan once said in frustration, “ Korang bertiga kalau tengok Abah je mintak duit, “ he he ). She is clever that little one. She approached him from the back, hugged him and looked at him while her chin was resting on his shoulder. She then went, “ Baaahh…………., “.

I don’t know what she asked for but since they were quarrelling not half an before, her Babah said to her, “ I thought you don’t love me ? “.

Titi : No… I love you Bah.

Babah : But just now you said you don’t love me. You love your Mummy saja ?

Titi : Bah, I have your face Bah.

Babah : Ye ke ?

Titi : Yes Bah. I choose you….

He he… Kembang kempis le hidung si Rashdan tu.

Titi gaduh dengan Babah

Dan didn’t go to work yesterday, which surprised me. He is quite a discipline worker and his announcement to skip his Saturday workday was a shock to all of us. I questioned and prodded for a reason but the only answer he gave me was malas.

After awhile though he finally said, “ Well, I have to show my face to those people at Cili Merah didn’t I, lest they think you are a single mother.” Ha ha… Thought he didn’t care. I don’t really care too in fact, but I hate the sympathy stares I get. Hmmm….

Anyway, Saturday morning for the first time ever, I saw Dan ligan anak dia. He he… I mean I was chased around by an angry parent quite often when I was small, but to actually see the love of my life did it to my son was hilarious and exhilarating. Well, exhilarating because I want to see what Dan would do when he catches his son.

Well, when he caught him, Dan dragged Umar in front of me. Dan was hiding his smile and Umar was bawling like there is no tomorrow. I was holding the crying Elsa on my lap. They were playing roughly in front of the door and an accident happened. Elsa was the casualty. Dan fetched a broom handle and a brolly and gave one each to of his children. He then asked them to fight. I had to see Umar holding a broom handle and Elsa with a brolly bigger than her, crying their eyes out.

I told Dan that no matter how hilarious I found the scene in front of me, he has to stop immediately as we are going to Cili Merah and their red eyes, puffy noses and sour mood will raise questions. How right I was. 2 of them asked what was wrong with them almost immediately. One even kneeled in front of Umar to ask if everything was okay. Hmmm…… never doubt a woman’s instincts.

So that was that. However, last night there was another fight between Elsa and her precious Babah. Dan woke her up to bathe her and somehow or rather during the cleansing ritual, she claimed her Babah had hurt her hand and was very upset. I could hear repeats of “ Babah naughty ! “. I asked her to get her hairbrush and after her hair was neat asked her to return the brush to its rightful place.

He he.. when she returned to our room, I saw her walking with her eyes closed. I blinked twice to ensure what I saw was right. Sure enough, there she was with eyes squeezed shut and both hand extended to help her navigate the way. I nudged Dan and he broke into the widest smile ever. When I looked at her again, she had her eyes opened just a smidgeon and when she saw her Babah grinning at her, she closed it tightly again. Wa ha ha !! She was so upset with her Babah, she didn’t even want to see him. Aiseh Elsa.

She came and hugged me for comfort and left the room after Dan kept nudging her with his feet. 5 minutes after that she came back into the room with one hand over her eyes and the other one flailing about in front of her.

Dan couldn’t helped himself but jumped off the bed and picked his daughter up and tossed her on the air a few times and tickled her until she accepted his apology.

Hai Ti… if I had know that is the best way to handle your dad, lama dah buat…..

PS : But Titi, the last statement is not a word of encouragement. Please do not do that to your husband…. often… ( yup that is the operative word ).

Hmmm……..

Last week and last night

When I got home yesterday, Elsa showed me a pink headband ( cekak ) that she found. I explained that it is not hers and to give it to her grandma as I am sure it belongs to one of her cousins. It reminded me of a something that happened on Saturday while we were waiting for Umar to finish his piano lesson. We were scheduled to attend a birthday party in the afternoon and we were without a present.

I went to a Barbie shop there and bought little Hana Amran something pink ( the in-thing to buy for girls for as long as I could remember ) and visited another shop to buy wrapping paper. I am quite a regular at that shop as they have wonderful arrays of clips and headband and what-nots to brighten up ( and tidy up – especially for my daughter as she prefers the pontianak hairdo ) little girls hair/hairdo. I was drawn to a new style of cekak, chose a white one and put it on Elsa’s hair.

I asked her is she liked it and she replied no, she doesn’t. The guy manning the till quickly shove a mirror to Elsa’s face and ask her to look at herself in the mirror. She looked at the mirror, preened left and right, look at the guy again and shook her head. ‘ No, I don’t like this, “ She said. I took it off and out it back on the display.

He then chose a pink one with a smart bow on it and asked her to put it on. He showeed her the mirror again and .. well, repeat above-mentioned steps. He tried to cajole her into chossing that one by saying “ I think you look like a princess. Don’t you think you look like a princess ? “ She shook her head and said “ No, I don’t “ and took it off determinedly.

I apologetically told him that my daughter is very fussy and very headstrong. She will decide on most of the things that involves her, I explained. When I gently reproached her when we left the shop, she said “ But I don’t like them Mum… “. Okay lah.

Last night during dinner Umar casually mentioned that he ranked 15th in his ugama class. Mummy and Babah were shocked. I gave him a stern lecture, not much on his position but more on his nonchalant attitude to his exam results. However Umar loves me. His love for me knows no bounds that even though I was the one most upset and Dan joined in the tirade only sparingly, it was still his Babah that he got upset with.

Umar : Babah you are a big, fat meanie…!!! ( and burst into tears )

Babah : What did I do ?

Umar : You are always mean to me….

However the phone rang and Dan left the table to answer it. The three of us quietly resumed our eating. After awhile though, Titi asked for the whereabouts of her Babah.

Mummy : Oh, he left. I have decided to give you a new Babah.

Umar : Why ?

Mummy : Well you always say what a meanie he is, so I am going to find you a nicer one.

Umar : But mum, I want my old Babah !!

Mummy : Why ? You said he is mean, so let me find you a new one that is much nicer.

Umar : I know I said that but I want my Babah ( tears flowed rapidly at this point ) back. I like that one Mum…. Please…

Titi : Stop Umar. I know, I know…. We can walk home. ( Abang dia dok risau bapak lari, yang makcik ni rupanya dok pikir macam mana nak balik rumah. Patut le diam je ).

Mummy : Well… since you complained so much, I thought why not ?

Titi : There Babah !! There !! Umar eagerly looked at where Titi pointed and was so relieved when his Babah was actually walking towards us.

He he…… Tahu pun…… Bila I bagitau Babah dia, tahu lak malu…..

Tennis and shoes

I went to play tennis with a friend yesterday. Our game was at 7, we finished by 8 and after bathing and praying, I rushed to Up Town Damansara to buy dinner and was home by 9.

When I arrived, my family was already waiting at the door. The sight of my car brought cheers and happy jumps from my kids ( I know their Babah was excited to see me home too, he just looks ugly jumping up and down with happiness, that’s why he didn’t do it ). But when I got out of my car, resplendent in my tennis gear, Umar and Elsa’s happy faces turned into quizzical ones. “ Mum why are you dressed like that ? “ asked my son.

“ Oh this ? I went to play tennis with my friend, “ said I, trying to dodge his eyes, very much like a naughty school girl. While taking out my gym bag from the car, I changed the topic. I really do not want any confrontations that night. I then busied myself with dinner preparations.

When we sat down to eat, Elsa who was sitting next to me suddenly leaned over and said to me, one finger up, “ Mummy, this is night time okay. You cannot play tennis at night. Okay mummy ? “ Her face was in earnest, her eyes round while she told me off.

“ Okay, “ said I meekly, just like a naughty school girl again. Hmmm…………….. I know I will never hear the last of it.

Anyway this morning, I dressed to work with a signing ceremony that I have to attend in mind. Of course I have to dress carefully and therefore was critical of every item I put together. As Umar and Dan was on the porch putting their own respective footwear, I modeled my outfit with a lovely pair of Nine West peep toe pumps, asking for approval. Umar gave me a wide smile and said I looked nice and Dan nodded his head but with a look that said something is not right there, wife. I know that look and I hate that look and he knows that I hate that look. But he also knows that that look could potentially make us late for work. Therefore, he didn’t want to say anything.

I however pressed for an answer. “ Okay tak ? “ and I repeated it a few times while alternating stood straight and pranced about ( which is the best way for them to see the full effect of my outfit ). “ Okay Mum, you look nice, “ but that came for my son and not from my hubby. Again, I repeated the question when Umar again opened his mouth, “ You look nice mum, but it would be better if everybody cannot see your toes, “ and smiled at me.

I was stunned. Dan looked at Umar and said, “ Pandai pun. Exactly my feeling, “. I know that is how Dan feels but degil kan as I love shoes and I love diversity… he he.. Anyway, I shook my head in wonder, gave my son a hug and changed to my normal, very scruffy looking round toed, black Clarks shoes.

“ I am so clever kan Mum ? “ said my son.

Hmmm………………. Learn to be an asset to your wife, sweetheart, okay ?

The long weekend Part 2

We are regulars at Cili Merah, Sek 9. Anybody who wants to see me can find me there every Saturday morning with Umar and Elsa. We are usually there by 9.30 as Umar’s piano class is at 10.30.

We are such a common face there that I do not have to order drinks anymore, as the staffs are familiar with our usual tipple. They would come and chat and help me with the kids too. The other regulars recognize us too. There is this 1 pakcik who always keep an eye on my children. Once he even rescued Elsa from falling off her chair. After that he would usually remind my daughter to sit down quietly while waiting for Mummy.

I told my husband of the stares that I got ( once, I caught the Sendayu Tinggi lady staring at me. She did that for 3 consecutive weeks. I was really upset and told Dan that if she ever comes by and offered her products to me, he has to indignantly tell her that his wife is already perfect… he he… ) when we first frequented the restaurant. Dan works Saturdays and therefore it is just the kids and I. They were just curious stares, wondering about my status I think. That is why I drag Dan for breakfast there most Sundays. Some who had seen him would figure out that he works 6 days a week or thought that I have a honey ( madu le ). And some who had not seen him assumed that I might be a single mother.

Anyway, there is this one guy who kept on staring. When everybody was already bored of us he was still looking. Maybe he hadn’t bumped into Dan with us at all. I did not really tell Dan about it because I do not know what the real deal is. However last Saturday he actually approached our table.

Him : Mana ayah ni ?

Umar : Babah saya work.

Him : Takkan lah hari cuti pun kerja ? Cuti tak kerja ( dia ingat aku ni bercerai – berai ke ? )

Umar : Yelah… bapak saya grumly….

Him : Grumly ? Apa tu ?

Umar : Garang…..

I quickly cut in the conversation and told him that my husband works Saturdays. The roti canai guy who apparently had been listening to the conversation came to us and told Umar “ Bapak awak kerja kan ? Kadang – kadang dia datang jugak…. “.

Malunya….. !! I described the incident to Dan and do you know what my husband said ? “ Lain kali Umar pakai gambar Abah lah kat leher… “.

Hmmm…………………….


******************************

My office was closed on Monday to replace the Agong inauguration Thursday, a working day for us. Therefore on Monday I was entrusted to get the tickets for Spiderman 3. After sending Umar to school, Elsa and I had our breakfast at where else but Cili Merah. We then went to SACC as Mummy had to buy lining for some of her kains and as usual ended up buying more kain for baju kurung ( I need help. I don’t know why I keep doing this. I have like 15 materials at home that have not been turned into baju kurung yet. I have actually given some to my sisters. Sapa – sapa nak beli, mailah as I know I will go and get some more….. waaahhh…. !!! ).

We then swing by Umar’s school to pick him up. Went home, had a short rest then we sent Umar to his sekolah ugama and Titi and Mummy headed off to the Curve for Spiderman tickets. We were lucky. We got the last four seats but it was the Couples’ seat ( which their Babah fondly calls Kerusi Romen ) and therefore a bit more expensive. Boleh lah, even at RM 11 a seat ( daylight robbery. How could they raise the price of tickets just because the movie is famous ? Dan said the price at GSC is RM 14/seat… wa lau weii ).

We ate at La Cucur afterwards and in the way to the car, stopped at a popular watering hole ( the coffee and tea kind of watering hole ) for banana chocolate chip muffin. Yum-my !! While waiting for our muffin ( I was carrying the little princess. She pulled her “ I am cold and shivering “ trick on me ), Elsa was looking at the pastries on display and pointed at the banana and chocolate chip muffin I ordered. “ Look Mum. I want that cookie. Got chocolate chip. “

“ That is not a cookie Titi, it’s a muffin and that is the muffin that we are getting, “

“ I like chocolate chip cookie Mummy, “

“ It is not a cookie Titi. That is a muffin, “

“ Chocolate chip cookie… yey !! “

I was about to correct her yet again when the mat salleh behind us spoke, “ It’s okay. For her I’ll call it cookie from now on…., “ and winked at my daughter.

Waa…. Malunya. I gave him an embarrassed grin and allowed him to pat my daughter.
We resumed our journey to the car. I was still carrying her and she was clutching the bag of cookie when she said, “ Mummy dengan Titi saja kan ? Umar takde, Babah takde, Mummy dengan Titi saja… “ he he….. yup darling girl. I had a wonderful day with you too, just the two of us.

The long weekend Part 1

Elsa. Hmmmm…..

Last week my children’s cousin Aida was sleeping over because her parents went on a holiday ( bestnya. When can I have a romantic holiday with my husband ? ). Aida of course wanted to camp out with her cousins. Now in their room, we pushed together a Queen bed with a Single ( the single is actually a day bed ) to make a large but quite separate bed. Elsa usually sleeps on the Queen and Umar on the Single.

That night I heard them arguing. Umar was yelling for Elsa to make some room for Aida. Aida was complaining loudly that she doesn’t like sleeping in such a cramped bed. I heard nothing from my daughter. When I peeked, I saw my little angel in the middle of the bed arms and legs stretched out as far as she could, looking innocently at her relatives. No matter how much I instructed, pleaded and ordered, she wouldn’t budge. Aida got fed up and slept with her Bibik instead.

The second night, I heard a loud gasp coming from the kids’ room. It was Elsa. “Bah, my room is in a mess. How can I sleep like this ? “ Amboi, siapa yang sepah bilik dia kalau bukan dia sendiri ?

When I checked in on them, I saw for the second time Aida and Umar squeezed on the day bed. I asked Aida what she was doing there and asked her to share Elsa’s bed. All three of us looked at the little terror, wondering what she would do. Elsa looked at Aida. After a long time, she asked “ Do you want to share my bed ? “ Aida quickly jumped in with her without answering.

The long weekend found us frequenting the tennis courts often. I swear, my thighs has become tighter ( I actually want them to be smaller ) and tauter. My son was relentless on the court. He never complained and hated long rests. He just wanted to be on the court, hitting the balls.

Since he only had 2 classes, he is still not very good. He could hit and all but then his balls went all over the place. He was frustrated but determined to learn. Babah served the balls and Mummy hit all the balls that he missed back to Babah. Titi is the much needed ball picker ( but usually gave up after awhile and insisted that it is her turn to be coached too. That too is usually short lived before she buried her nose in her books… my daughter…. ).

Once after tennis, we went for 1 game of bowling. It was fun for us but not for Umar. He only managed to knock 1 ball or no balls at all. At the end of the game, we had to deal with our teary eyed son. We couldn’t console him at all. What do you say to a boy who sobbed, “ I have to be clever at everything “ and pooh-poohed all your reasonings and explainations ?

Amir, Umar and Elsa

Amelia and I took our children out for lunch on Saturday. Amelia sent her car for washing, she and Amir then jumped into my car. On the way, I stopped for petrol at Shell. Amir was so cute. He told me that his dad also uses Shell because " Shell bagi kete ada power ". I told him then his father was really smart because he works in Shell. He agreed and re-iterated that Shell gives power to cars.

I then pointed out to him that his mother works in ExxonMobil and therefore uses Esso. This smart little boy then said, " Itulah, ibu tak suka kete dia ada power.... ". He he...

Sunday was Umar's first tennis leson. The coach is my cousin Abg Ijam ( Kamalia, you know his sister, Rahela Abd Rahim. I think your lecturer at UUM ) who is a lecturer of Sports Science at UiTM. Initially, he was shy but eager to learn. However 10 minutes after that, the ice had not just been broken, but it thawed and was evaporating. Fast. Very fast.

We could hear his chatters and questions and chatters. He even told his coach ( not my cousin but a young, pleasent chap called Sharul ) that he doesn't like running but wants to concentrate on hitting the balls only. He was totally useless during his turn to collect the balls. He would just collect the balls in one area and ignored the rest. I shouted and pointed to where the other balls were but Dan stopped me and forbade me to interfere. Interfere ? I was not interfering. I was just telling him to do his tasks properly. Salah ke ?

Anyway, Elsa was excited too. She keeps shouting encouraging words to her brother. " You can do it Um !! " or " Hurry Um !! Run faster !! ". When we asked if she wanted to join she intially refused but towards the end of the class asked for a racquet. He he... lagi tinggi racquet dari dia.

Umar looked so cute when he played. He was determined and very eager to learn. We however borrowed the racquet from my cousin as I do not want to invest in something that he could potentially lose interest in 1 month.

Today on the way to school, he was animatedly talking about tennis when suddenly he said, " Mum, when I enter the competition in Australia .... , ". Australia ?

Mum : What competition in Australia ?

Umar : There is a tennis competition in Australia kan ?

Mum : You mean the Australian Open ?

Umar : I think so ( Tang ni mak dia dah bantai gelak ). Mum, can I enter that competition ?

Mum : Wah ha ha... sure....

Umar : If I win, will I get the trophy ?

Mum : Umar, if you win, you will win like a million ringgit Umar.

Umar : But mum, I want the trophy....

Wah ha ha ha ha...

Help !!

Dukung Titi

Macam – macam hal Elsa. Dia ni because she is small is still carry-able ( dukung-able ). Therefore she is tremendously lazy when it comes to using her legs for walking. Her excuse is always ;

Elsa : I am cold Babah, please dukung.

Hmm…. Macam – macam. There is one time when she had a fight with her Babah, she announced that she doesn’t want her Babah anymore. She only wants her Mummy. Babah belongs to U-um now. Then she added,

Elsa : Mummy, you can dukung me later, Mum..

She sounded like it is a privilege to be able to dukung her. Her Babah gave a delighted laugh and was very gleeful. But, it was not for long. When we got out of the car, as predicted she reached for my hand and we walked hand in hand. However the father couldn’t stand the fact that his only little girl wouldn’t talk to him, so has been very agreeable to her requests. Soon, she switched from holding my hand to her father’s. And then after awhile, “ Bah, I am so cold … ! “ Mua ha ha ha… I was the one who was gleeful at the end…. Ha ha…

When we ate, I innocently asked her who was mad at her to the point of yelling ? She shrugged her cute little shoulders and said, “ No one,”. Dan smiled and gave me a smug look. I was dissatisfied and pressed her again for an answer. She looked at her Babah, smiled at me and said, “ Babah…, “ fondly, twitch her nose and kissed her Babah’s upper arm.

Dan gave me another smug look.

Hmm………..

Shoo !!

Umar is such a grown boy now. I remember being worried about him being 2 and still couldn’t talk properly… ½ a year later he did at an alarming alacrity and now, 5 years later I worry about his inability to stop. Why did I bother to worry in the first place ?

Last night, I heard him bickering with Elsa ( what’s new ? ). He was all hot and bothered and Elsa was speaking in a more conciliatory, mollifying tone. When he saw me, he raised his voice up a notch, “ Mum, Titi berak lagi dalam pampers… Titi… I told you the smell is horrid !! Why do you keep doing this ? “. Elsa was leaning against the bed and from her position I surmised her abang had taken a peep at the contents of her pampers.

Mummy : Elsa o-ok ke ?

Titi : Ha…. O-ok….

Mummy : Why do you that ? Dah lama dah Titi berhenti…..

Titi : I don’t know Mummy..

Mummy : ( After checking her bottom ) Tak de pun Umar ?

Umar : You have to go deeper inside Mum. It is somewhere there…

Mummy : Oii… tak delah. Bau pun tak de….

Titi : Takde o-ok ke Mummy ?

Mummy : Oi… you don’t know whether you ada ke tak de ?

Titi : Tak de ? Okay……

Ada ke ? Sendiri punya hal pun tak tahu ?

Last week, we were eating dinner at home and Umar being a very picky eater, scrutinized every spoonful of food before he allowed it to enter his mouth.

Mummy : Tak de benda Umar. Just eat them. There is nothing there that tastes bad.

Umar : Mum … I can see something that I don’t like there…

Babah : There is nothing there Umar… makan aje…. I cannot see anything …

Umar : Bah, I have big eyes okay ? I can see everything !! I have big eyes… I can see more than you….

Ye ke ? I myself am very unsure…

Seperti biasa ( at least on alternate days ) she had a fight with her Babah. This time because she ripped one of Abah’s comic books. She was wailing loudly and Abah saja tambah mengusik… just to see her get angrier. I then told Dan to leave the room, as I know his parents would be coming to rescue their granddaughter soon.

Elsa : Yes Bah.. Shoo! Shoo !!

Babah : Shoo ? ( Mummy and and Babah exchanged looks )

Elsa : Bah, I don’t want to see your face. Get away from me Bah. Leave my room !!

Mummy : Elsa that is not very nice….. that is so rude

Elsa : Bah.. shoo Bah.. shoo !!

Baru nak cekak pinggang, Dan’s mum dah jenguk…. She refused to leave with her grandma but when she looked at me for support and saw my face, she quickly left with Dan’s mom. Outside, Dan’s father was waiting for her. Nanti kau, Elsa… I still have that bone to pick with you…. Shoo indeed !!

Umar, Elsa and potato crisps...

Dan woke up hungry Sunday morning. He went to look for his hidden Lays and ate in bed. The leftover was placed next to him. Then Umar woke up and as usually jumped into our bed and inadvertently saw the crisps. He asked permission to eat it but I did not allow it, as it was still too early.

We watched telly and Umar left for his room. Suddenly Dan saw him on all fours heading towards the crisps. We kept our eyes glued to the telly and watched him from the corner of our eyes. He slowly reached for the potato, took some and hurriedly crawled to his room again.

Dan and I looked at each other. What ? Does he think we are blind ? He then came again, on all fours once more but this time took the box with him, and ate while crouching and watched the telly with us. What ? Does he think we really are that blind ?

Like when I pray. Do they think I am in another world when I pray ? A few weeks ago, while I was performing my Maghrib, Elsa played with my stuffs on my vanity table. Suddenly I heard an “ O-oh… “. I heard a hasty cleaned-up act, then she slowly climbed down the chair and walked backwards until she get to the bed and jumped on it. I heard her breathed a sigh of relief.

When I checked my stuffs, I found a totally ruined Chanel lipstick. “ ELSA !!!! “. Why walked backwards ?

Again, I was on my prayer mat, reading the Quran in between Maghrib and Isyaq. I could sense my son hovering behind me, looking for something at the vanity table. He then said, “ Okay, stealth…. Slowly.. “ Then he said, “ Tip toe… “ and proceeded to do so. When he was about to climbed on my chair, I gave out aloud , “ HOI !! “. Ha ha… he was so shocked, he toppled over and landed on me……..

Ha…. Again…. Where does he think I was ? I WAS RIGHT THERE !! Maybe because I always ignored them when I pray, they think I will be oblivious to the happenings around me ? Or does he think he could be invisible ?

The earlier-mentioned Lays though quickly became a source of a fight between them both. Elsa woke up and saw Umar munching away and demanded for some. Umar told her to get it from us and so she ran to our room and requested for it. Dan told her to take the whole box to her room.

Elsa : Okay Babah. Thank you…

Mummy : Share dengan U-um okay ?

Elsa : Okay Mum. Sure…..

Nope, it didn’t happen. She refused to share and tears of course flowed from both parties. Babah went in the battleground to help restore peace but ended up kelahi dengan Elsa. I heard a few “ Babah jahat.. “ and “ Tak nak kawan dengan Babah… “ and “ Titi nak Mummy saja… “. Of course while Babah was there, he saw the state of their room and naik angin lagi. A new war ensued and the both of them had to clean up.

I was in the bathroom at that time and when I went in to look at them, Elsa was on the bed, red eyed and Umar was picking up his toys. When Elsa saw me, tears flowed again and she reached for me for comfort.

Elsa : Babah naughty Mummy….

Mummy : Kenapa Titi tak nak share dengan Umar ?

Elsa : Because itu Titi punya…

Mummy : Jangan macam tuh… you always have to share…. Umar pun suka Lays jugak…

Umar : Titi tau tak semua budak suka makan potato chips … ? Dah lah aku jugak yang kena kemas sorang – sorang……

Ha ha ha… Dan and I tergelak besar bila dengar.. kelakar lah Umar.

Tapi Umar memang anak Babah dia…. Champion leter… The scene below happened last night. Elsa although is already toilet trained will still be encased below the navel with pampers… just in case….. Anyway, we were at Petronas Sek 6, I was paying and Dan was waiting by the pump. When I entered the car, Umar dok membebel…

Mummy : Apahalnya Umar ?

Umar : I could smell something horrid Mum. Titi berak. Ti, you are already 4 years old !! You cannot do this anymore. If you need to berak… you have to tell people. You have to do it in the toilet !! You cannot do it in your pampers… Busuk tau… It is sooo horrid !!

Ya Allah…. Rentikan lah Um…. Especially since Elsa did not do the poo-poo….

Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Bandar Anggerik

I like Umar’s primary school. First of all because the headmistress is somebody that I know and trust, my Geography teacher Pn Ramlah ( now Datin Ramlah ). She had always been the nice and loving type of teacher and it is evident she’s is still the same person by the way she runs the school and the way her students are with her.

I have seen students fighting to salam and kiss her hand. I have witnessed students ran to greet her to just say hello. She sometimes would wait for her students to enter the school ground and greet them and the parents warmly ( she once asked me to introduce her to my son and I told Umar that this was my teacher.. Umar seemed unimpressed. When Umar waved me goodbye with a “ Bye Mummy “ cikgu Ramlah said “ Haa.. dah Mummy dah… “ ) and urging the kids to walk faster to the assembly ground if the bell had already rung, non-threateningly of course .. he he…

Anyway, like I mentioned I like the way she ran the school. Every morning during assembly, 1 volunteer ( or kena paksa I don’t know ) will be standing in front to recite the times table. Every morning we will be greeted with now all the too familiar “ 3 kali 3… 9, 4 kali 3… 12 “ in the same sing songy tone. Sometimes it will be “ 2 times 4 is 8 “. That one is usually noticeably at a slower pace. Anyway it is good practice because Umar now could remember a few, eventhough all jumbled up. “ 3 kali 2.. 6, 5 kali 8.. 40, 4 kali 4… 16 “. Takpelah, asal betul ye dak ? But I think the most important thing is my son has no fear for the times table. I remember I was scared of them. Even now, I am kinda uneasy of them, just in case tersilap… malu… he he…

After the times table recital, there will be 5 minutes reading time where everybody will take a storybook and read. Parents will have to ensure that students are well stocked with books in their bag. Then there will be another volunteer who will be up in front of the whole students, with a mic in her/his hand and talk about the book she/he read ( Dan said everyday there will be 2 students who is dreading to go to school ). I find it good practice because it helps to instill the love of reading. Furthermore, I think most of the students there will come out confident of their ability to talk/speak in public.

Then there are free mengaji classes every Saturday for the students. Their aim is for every student to khatam Quran by 12. Last month there was Solat Camp where each student were assessed on their correctnesss of their solat. Good huh ?

One more thing I like about the school is how polite most the students are. Everyday I will be greeted by the pengawas and sometimes by the students. “ Selamat pagi Kak… “ haa… itu part yang paling syok tuh… Kak….. he he….

Umar's Song

Ohh…. Menggigil emak ni semalam. I came home to Umar’s announcement that he is entering a singing competition in school. Eyes wide, I asked him why he wants to do a thing like that. He said because cikgu suruh. When I asked him why his teacher made a request such as that he said because teacher asked the whole class to enter… Ingatkan cikgu dia specifically asked him to enter…

Anyway, I asked him if there are any songs in his mind and he excitedly told me he has a funny song that he wishes to sing for the competition.

“ Lets hear it, “ I say and istighfar was all I could muster when I heard it. It was a fun ditty but it was of his own composing… Waahh !! It goes something like this ( the gist of it lah )

The weather is hot here
I want it to be cold
But Shah Alam has no snow
So I have to go to London or Paris

Oh Malaysia why are you so hot ?
Please give me some snow
I want to play outside
But I am always sweating

Oh Malaysia, oh Malaysia

Okay, the lyrics are not half bad, although it is a major inducer of discreet ( at that moment ) laughter but the melody was inconsistent. Sekejap macam ada his own melody, sekejap macam ada London Bridge, sat lagi another nursery rhyme.

Umar : Is it good Mum ?

Mum : Err… yes… You don’t want to sing other songs that people already know ?

Umar : I think my song is better mom… it is fun…

Mum : Sure, but I don’t think you have the melody right..

So he sang the song again…

Mum : Umar, your melody is different now and your lyrics has changed too. Maybe we should sit down and I can write down your words again so that you could remember..

Umar : Good idea. I think you should sit on the piano too….

Aaahhh… banyak kerja pulak……

That happened on our way to McDonald’s. I hate going there. Selain dari my perut is very Melayu, they serve Coca-Cola… Hmm… enough said. So yesterday, I was coerced going there by my son’s “ You are the best mother in the world Mum. Can we go to McDonald’s ? Ada toy Ninja Turtles that I really like. “

Hmmm….. Awal – awal dah cakap the best mother in the world macam mana nak refuse ?

Are you dissapointed in me Mum ?

Umar : Mum, are you disappointed in me ?

I was asked that question when I queried Umar on the things his ustazah told me, last night.

Mum : No…

Umar : Are you angry then ?

Mum : No….

Umar : So, I am okay ? I am not in trouble ?

Mum : No…. but you have to tell me why do you fall asleep in class ?

Umar : I do not have enough rest Mum. Selalu kena pegi sana pegi sini. Kena jaga Titi….

Mum : Oh really ? Jaga Titi ?

Umar : Yes… it is so hard to take care of her..

Okay…… We went out for dinner again last night. Nando’s by popular demand ( I couldn’t see what the fuss is all about actually ), so we went to SACC. As we were waiting for food, Elsa who was gazing outside suddenly pointed to Nando’s outside hut.

Titi : Look Mum, there is a celebration there…

When we looked, there were paper pink paper streamers and heart shaped decorations.

Titi : It’s Valentine’s Day…

Babah : In April ?

Titi : Look at the love, love…. ( and gestured to the hearts )

I have to tell you this, she didn’t say it like most of us with the vowel e, you know like lurve ( I was once told by a teacher that whoever pronounced it like this, he or she sounds like a constipated cow .. he he ), but lave ( like laugh with a v ) … the correct pronunciation.

Babah and Mummy exchanged looks that said, “ My baby….. “.

Umar kena buli ke ?

Macam – macam hal si Umar. On Friday Dan’s mom announced Umar cuba ngelat pergi sekolah agama. She then duly informed us what was Umar’s excuse.

Umar : Wan, Umar tak payah pegi sekolah agama hari ni sebab uncle Joe tak hantar Dahlya and Jazmyn ( maybe demam kot I am not sure ). Aunty Wawa pening kepala dengan anak dia 3 orang tu and Aunty Su pening kepala dengan Bibik Sarah. Tak de orang nak hantar Umar…

Cakap… macam orang tua. When Dan’s mom pressed him for the real reason, he finally admitted because there is a boy who is much bigger than him who keeps asking for money… Tension….

I asked how did he asked for money, rudely or nicely ? Umar said he asked nicely, usually with “ Umar ada duit tak ? “ Hearing that, I am unsure he was a bully, maybe he really didn’t have money. Dan then asked what car his parents drive, but Umar doesn’t have the answer to that one.

Last night, we went out for dinner and Umar fell asleep in the car. When we woke him up, he cried and complained that his feet wouldn’t wake up. At that moment, I really feel for my son and without thinking I scooped him in my arms and entered the house. Elsa was jauntily walking in front of us ( I could still picture her in green sleeveless t-shirt and green flowered skirt, swaying to the song playing in her head, her figure illuminated by the neon lights outside that entered the house through the big window at the staircase ) and was shocked when she turned around and saw her brother in my arms. As we climbed the staircase, she looked at me and asked why am I carrying Umar ?

Mummy : Because Umar is my baby.

Elsa : Mummy tak sakit belakang ke ? ( my usual excuse when she asked to be carried )

Mummy : Ermm… sakit sakit… tapi sian abang kan ?

Elsa : Come on Mummy, you can do it !!

And she kept giving me encouraging words to help me carry her precious abang safely to his bed.

He he……

Anyway, what is a mother to do on Monday morning but to call his teacher ? Ustazah Rozita was shocked but assured me that she will handle the situation. And no, the boy doesn’t come from a poor family but he does go straight to sekolah agama’s nursery before going to the classes.

I assured her that if he is really poor, I do not exactly mind if he asks my son for money, but ustazah understandably doesn’t like the idea. She said the boy is a bit naughty and that is why she puts him in front next to Umar. With that I became suspicious. Why does the ustazah placed Umar in front of her ?

With that she laughed. She said my son would fall asleep as soon as he enters the class. Give him 5 – 10 minutes he will start snoring and off to slumberland. I was shocked and I emphatised. Kesian dia. Moving him to the front helped a bit. He will be nodding his head but at least he wouldn’t sleep.

What to do ? What to do ?

Unsuccessful Ploy

I read an article on a mother’s experience with a very inquisitive child. After I read it, I was relieved to know that I am not the only mother who felt like wringing her child’s neck for asking too many questions. I learned that feeling tired with the barrages of questions is actually quite normal. Phew… !!

Is there an article for my son that explains maybe he should write all his questions and politely divide it equally between his parents to answer ? Two days ago he asked me about clouds. As I was ( still am ) suffering from an inflamed tonsil, I just shrugged my shoulders because talking hurts. However ( I promise you this is true ) I did make a mental note to explain it all to him when I am better. However…

Umar : The clouds are made of water Mum, don’t you know ?

I gave him a look that says if you already know it, why did you ask me ? Then he proceeded to tell me authoritatively about the cycle of rain… Why ? Why did you ask me if you already know the answer ? Do you want me to confirm what you know ? Or do you want to check if your mother knows everything ?

Elsa loves eggs. Unlike Umar who abhors it, Elsa loves them. Morning, noon and night, that is her menu of choice. Since she developed this affair with eggs, Dan and I hadn’t had eggs with our nasi goreng, mee bandung or any dish that consists of eggs because she would take them away from our plates.

I have made a few attempts to curb her intake ( cholesterol, don’t you know ? ). The most recent one, I tried the vanity angle. Everytime she kisses me, I would say that she smells of eggs.

Mum : Eee…. Busuknya. Bau tulur….

Elsa : Ye ke ? Bau tulur ke ? Okay, Titi lap okay ?

She wiped her mouth with her baju. Then she tried again with more kisses.

Mum : Eeeuuww….. bau tulur lah… Disgusting Titi….

Elsa : Okay Mummy, Titi pegi basuh mulut okay….

Then she walked to the toilet and washed her mouth ( this will take quite sometime because washing her mouth is coupled with playing with the water… kill 2 birds with one stone as they say ).

Mum : ( after kissing her again ) Bau lah Ti…

Elsa : (sighed) Mummy kiss rambut Titi lah… my hair okay Mum ?

Mum : Urgghh…. Baunya…
I don’t know why she puts up with it. Probably she wants to be known as the best person to kiss ever.

Mum : Titi toksah makan telur lah……

Elsa : Toksah makan tulur ? Tak boleh ke Mum ? Makan ikan goreng saja ?

Mum : Haaa… okaylah. Ikan is good…

Elsa : What about roti canai ?

Mum : That is good choice too… no smell what-so-ever….

I beamed, thinking my ploy had work.

Elsa : I know, I know… Ice cream kan Mum smell so nice…. Titi makan ice cream lah…

Mum : ?????

Elsa : Yes… Titi makan ice-cream… Babah.. pegi ambik ice cream for me…. Mummy bagi..

Mum : Cess….. back fired…

Holiday in KL

Our family spent the night in KL on Saturday. The reason is because my mom and her besan ( Shera’s mom ) went to Ahmad Jais’s concert ( I know…. I know…. ). The concert we predicted would finish late and therefore we decided to wait for her in KL with bedrooms within easy reach. Alasan je…. We took the opportunity to spend time with each other.. and tengok wayang.

Movie of choice ? Mr Bean… He he… I had wanted to watch Chermin, in my bid to support the local industries, but I sensed my family agreed just to humour me… ( never mind, I have Amelia, my cerita hantu buddy to go watch it ) but at the 11th hour changed to Mr Bean…

The first thing I thought when I saw the evergreen En Kacang is how he is not exactly … well immortal. He looked old. And how he uncannily looked like his cartoon character. The cartoonist really captured the essence of Mr Bean.

It was hilarious, some time in a slapstick kind of way, the audience was laughing all the time. The movie we caught was at 9.40 pm and it was full to the brim. Elsa watched it with a permanent smile on her face. She laughed and enjoyed herself until about halfway when the day’s activity was getting to her.

Umar… well…. He was laughing and all but at one point, I could see him cringe. Then I saw him closed his eyes. Then he asked to go home. “ Why ? Aren’t you enjoying yourself ? “ He gave out an embarrassed laugh and said “ Mr Bean is so silly Mum. He keeps making all this mistakes…. I cannot stand it anymore….. “ He he…. Umar dah segan tengok lawak bodoh Mr Bean… Dah tak sanggup nak tengok lagi……. Hai…

Anyway, the next day we brought him to PetroSains. You have no idea how much he bugged us to take him there. So since he good really good marks for his exams, we told him it is his present for scoring 100% in Science, Maths and English.

Let me tell you this, PetroSains is a whole lot of fun and very educational. There were gadgets and experiments to try. There were puzzles to solve and simulations to attempt. It was worth the RM 35 to get the 4 of us in. It was well planned and beautifully done. Dan and I wondered how could they squeeze everything in KLCC. And I have to say this, we had been to Red Earth in Edinburgh, Scotland and it could not rival our PetroSains. On our ride back to Level 4, I actually got quite sentimental because I was so proud. It was well managed.

Umar and Elsa’s birthday party this year will definitely be held there.

Merajuk Tak Bertempat

We were in the car yesterday and Elsa was listening to a song by Rossa. That song somehow really touched my little girl’s heart. While singing this song, she will caress and kiss our faces with utmost tenderness.

“ Sekalang kau pergi nan jauh…. “ * Usap * * Usap *

“ Sekalang kau tinggalkan aku….” * Kiss * * Kiss *

Coincidently, while she was stroking my face, Umar mentioned that his Bahasa Arab paper in Sekolah Agama is 35/50. I was shocked and my arms flailed upwards on its own accord and accidentally knocked my daughter’s hand. Big mistake. In a split second I grabbed her hand and offered my apologies. Too late. She was already heartbroken.

Her head hung, she repeated, “ Mummy tak sayang Titi…. “

She walked with her Babah and refused to talk to me. Somehow between ordering our food ( we were at ITM Café for my nasi ayam fix ) and waiting for its arrival, Babah managed to upset her further. Instantly she was best friends with Mummy again.

She positioned her body sideways and her head completely turned to her right ( Babah was on her left ) she claimed that Babah tak sayang Titi. When I said he does and even forced Babah to admit it, she said, “ Tak……… Babah tak sayang Titi, “ and shook her head. She then looked at her father and said, “ I don’t think you should sit here Bah… “ rather forlornly.

Dan and I looked at each other, eyes wide, trying very hard not to laugh. My mother had taught me to never laugh at children’s impertinence. They are funny but by laughing, I am encouraging them, she warned. Being the eldest girl of 8, for as long as I could remember, I had always had a baby brother/sister hanging on my waist. Ada aje adik I gelek kat pinggang. I would be talking and teasing and laughing delightedly if they were ever imprudent with their manners. Mummy advised that I will be teaching them that lack of respect and insolence is okay. They would grow up oblivious to their mistakes.

Therefore, I swallowed my smile and told her sternly that she was being rude. The problem is always the ever-present guardian brother. I noticed Umar had stopped drinking and was looking at us. Then, food arrived. Elsa accepted food from her Babah but kept her face turned the other way. The only time she spoke to him was to ask Babah not to look at her.

On the way back to the car, Titi and Umar walked hand in hand. He protectively allowed her to climb in the car first. When Rossa’s song was played again, all was forgotten. She was all smiles and lovey dovey again… Sigh……

Umar bau ikan goreng

Umar had his exams 2 weeks ago. His daily report was not always encouraging especially his Arabic paper. I came home to his “ I didn’t do the last page, Mum,”. When I asked him why he said he didn’t have enough time and the paper was hard.
Of course I asked why he did not concentrate in class, he looked at me and opened his mouth, “ Mum, do you speak Arab ? “ I knew where the conversation is going already but I bravely said no. “ That’s right. I told my teacher my Abah does not speak Arab, my Mummy does not speak Arab and therefore I also do not know how to speak Arab!! “

Benda – benda macam nilah yang memalukan mak bapak……

Elsa…. Hm lagi sorang…. 3 nights ago she refused to let Umar sleep next to her. She kept asking Umar to go elsewhere dengan alasan Umar busuk bau ikan goreng… Yang abang tu tercengang – cengang lah but it worked well for him at the end because Abah and Mummy had no other way but to let him sleep with them.

The next night, I sternly told Titi that Umar did not consume any fried fish that day…. “ Yes but Umar bau mee Mum …. “.

On Saturday we had dinner with my mom and 2 siblings ( Mail and Marlin ). After dinner we walked them to their car and Umar leaned in Tok’s car for more hugs and kisses from Tok Mi. Elsa was at the other side of the car and from there she thought Umar was going with Tok. She made an awful ruckus, ordering Umar to follow her home. Abah’s explanation of the real situation fell on deaf ears and she only quieted down when Umar stomped his way to her.

In the car, I asked Titi why was she was upset. She said because Umar was leaving with Tok.

Mummy : Kenapa Umar tak boleh ikut Tok ke ?

Titi : Mummy, Titi sayang Umar… ha…..

Umar : Kalau Titi sayang Umar, kenapa Titi pok Umar tadi ?

Titi : Titi sayang Umar okay Um……

Umar : Yelah, tapi why did you hit me just now ?

Titi : ( sighed ) Sebab Um naughty… Titi sayang Umar okay…. Sorry Um….

Mummy and Abah looked at each other with a smile on our faces…

Abah : Pandai anak awak main politik ye ……

Mummy : Eii… anak awaklah

U-um and Titi

My children…

Last night we went to book Dan’s new car. We decided not to get the car that will only be delivered to us in August and purchase one that we will actually get next month. We took our little ‘uns with us to show them the car.

Umar and Elsa were excited. Dan opened the passenger door of the showroom car and invited them to enter. Elsa went in after Umar and soon as she stood in the middle of the back seat, she exclaimed “ Much better…. “ and nodded her head in satisfaction. “ This is better than Abah’s old car ? “ I asked and she said, “ Of course Mummy….. “. Hmm….

Dan who is always very concerned about what his children think of him asked for Umar’s approval. “ Am I loser now ? “ and Umar replied “ No Bah… you are great now… “ Kesian Abah. I told Umar that I have always found his Abah a great person. And this little boy of mine said, “ Sure mom… he’s your boyfriend, “ like it is so yucky to have a boyfriend.

After booking the car, we went straight for dinner. We were driving in silence when suddenly Umar gave a loud piercing scream. Titi for some reason had bitten him. I quickly tried to ease the pain while Dan interrogated the would-be piranha. All questions were met by stony silence.

I then tried to approach her. “ Sapa gigit Umar ? “

Titi : Tak de sapa – sapa

That response is very common from her.

Mummy : Titi…. Umar is crying… sapa gigit dia ?

Titi : Umar tak nanis pun…

Budak ni ingat kita orang pekak ke ? How can she try to camouflage the situation ?

Mummy : Titi… do not lie to me. If you decide to lie I will leave you here…..

At that time we were in Glenmarie. You know how Glenmarie is at night……. But the one who panicked was the victim. The accused remained defiant.

Umar : Titi, please tell Mummy you bite Umar. Nanti Mummy will leave you here…

Titi : No… I don’t know anything….

Eee…. Kerasnya…..

Umar : Come on Ti, just tell her you gigit and everything will be okay……
Mummy : Well Titi ? Sapa gigit Umar ?

Titi : Titi mummy…. I gigit Umar….

Terus gelak – gelak……. Umar was happy too and laughed.

Mummy : Why did you gigit Umar ?

Titi : I don’t know.

Umar : Dia boring – boring gigit Umar … he he… she is so cute…

Pulak… baru tadi melalak sekarang dah cute ? Then they started to wrestle each other and were soon best friends again….

Mummy : Err…. Nak sambung marah ke Dan ?

Dan : Dah lah…. Nanti you slow talk dengan dia…

Aku jugak…..

Art Studio

More drama today for me. Last night Umar asked for my permission to bring his Art Studio ( alah…. Colouring set yang ada colours of different forms, pencil, magic, water , crayon and yang lagi satu macam crayon tu ). I was a bit skeptical about him being able to fit in his bag but he said it would be of no problem. “ I will move it this way and that way Mum, “. I did not give a reply.

This morning he handed me the now 30 colour pencils. When I asked why he said he is going to bring his Art Studio to school, remember ? I told him that I do not think it is a good idea as the Studio is still in tact and I am sure once he takes it to school, one or even two would be missing.

Besides, Babah added, what will Titi use to write and draw ? She usually lugs it around the house, just in case she has a sudden inspiration for yet another masterpiece. Our statements of course provoked another glassy eyes moment. He understandably became less cheerful. He ate breakfast in silence and just shrugged his shoulders when I asked him what does he want for his bekal.

When I held his hand and took him to the school compound, I saw him tried to open his mouth a few times, but changed his mind. As we were about to pass the gate, he finally had the courage to talk or had finally constructed his thoughts and words correctly. He asked if the Studio belongs to Titi only. I denied it and told him it belongs to both of them. It is meant to be used at home and not in school.

At that, the liquid that made his eyes glassy became a river on his cheeks. Aiyooo… Umar. “ Are you not embarrassed that all your friends can see you cry ? “ It got louder. I tried to soothe him as best as I could but he was just really sad. My heart really went out to him but there is nothing that I can do. We are already in school. When the waterworks finally receded, he took my tudung ( he was hugging me anyway, so my tudung was the nearest to him ) and wiped his tears. He even used the ones near my shoulder area that I had to bent down to allow easy access.

“ Dah Mum…, “ he said. He kissed my hand and offered his face for the customary kiss. He gave me a quivery smile. My son… he is always very brave, always trying to show that he is okay after a fight or tears or whatever.

In the car, I rubbed the tear stained tudung to my face and feel wretched. Even now, I am still savouring the bit where my son was woefully pouring his feelings out.

Umar and his colours

Dan called me a tyrant… Stationery tyrant, that is….. because I could get worked up if Umar came home with 1 pencil short. If he loses his eraser again, I think Dan has to hire a psychiatrist to help me get through it. I don’t know why I am like that, but I just am ( trust me, I have learned some crucial breathing exercise to calm me down. It is harder for a non-screamer like me ).

Umar has gone through 2 boxes of 12 short colour pencils this year. When I gave him the second set, I warned him that under no circumstances would I tolerate the disappearance of even 1 colour. Therefore my first encounter with the said set ( mind you, I did not make it a point to check everyday only when I help him with his homework and have a full view of his stationery ), I was astonished to find there were 13 colours instead of the customary 12. He he…

Then of course, the inevitable ( Dan said inevitable, I said it could be prevented ) happened. He lost the whole box. Aiseh. When I asked what happened, his eyes grew bigger and started to get glassy ( berkaca kata org Melayu sebab dah nak teriak dah ). He looked so much like a wounded puppy that I just sighed and hand him his home colouring set.

Now you have to understand how much Umar loves colours. He so loves rainbow. He said his house would be rainbow coloured with blues and greens and oranges and reds and purples. His car colouring book is filled with rainbow coloured cars. His dream Porsche is in canary yellow. Therefore what can his mother do but buy a majestic 36 colour pencils collection as his home colouring set. He is is very proud of it. However it could be only used at home as home is the only place where mummy could guard it like there is no tomorrow. But when the second box of colours were found missing late at night, mummy had to hand over the brand spanking box of 36 colours for school.

Umar’s eyes went wide when he saw me slipped it into his bag. I had him promised that he will take good care of it. Many, many times. Saturday came and time to do his music theory homework. It was just his luck that his homework required some colouring done. I asked him to fetch his colours. He gulped. And was very slow to retrieve it. It took him a long time to return with the said colours. From his demeanour, I was not shocked to see 6 were missing. I did not lecture but I did pass a sentence, no PS2 for 2 more months ( he is currently under 5 months ban – don’t ask me for what as I couldn’t remember. 2 weeks ago his Babah was playing Ultimate Alliance and found it difficult to fight Mephisto. Umar shouted out instructions but Babah still couldn’t do it – at one point Umar ran to his room in frustration at Babah’s failure to kill Mephisto. We were watching the telly together afterwards when Dan said “ Umar….. macam mana ha nak kalahkan Mephisto ni ? “ and Umar replied while looking at me from the corner of is eyes, “ I could help you Babah but I am banned from playing until May…… “ Memang nak kena budak ni… Bagi jugak tapi for that 1 day only to help Babah advance to the next stage ).

That night, I complained to his Babah and Dan said “ Laa… yang dia tunjuk kat you tu buat apa ? I told him not to…. “ Dan went quiet when he saw my horrified face. “ You guys planned to keep this from me ? You are teaching your son it’s okay to fight the authorities !! “

“ Ala, kids are like that. They lose things. I was going to buy a new set to replace it tapi tak sempat rupanya, “ Dan said calmly. This guy is really missing the point, thought I. “ How do you profess to explain the new, still unbattered box to me ? “

“ By doing homework with him every night until the box look old, that is how… “

Menyesal jugak. If I didn’t make a big deal out of it, memang dah sah – sah terlepas homework duty… he he….

Umar's loose tooth

Umar’s loose tooth is really bothering him and us. Yesterday when he couldn’t enjoy his cookies, he bravely told me that he is having it removed that very day. How, I asked and he said he is going to ask his Babah to do it for him. But, he cautioned, not before dinner. After dinner will suit him very fine.

Babah prepared dinner because he came home early and therefore we know what to expect for dinner; soup and baguettes. Sure enough when he hollered for us to come and get it, there were 2 huge bowls of soup, 2 freshly baked crusty baguettes, a bowl of corn and some chicken toasts.

After dinner as we were cleaning up the table, he asked his Babah to take the tooth out for him. Babah looked at his son in horror and said in no circumstance is he ever going to do that. I suggested tying up his tooth with a thread, tie the other end to a doorknob and then push the door hard and wallah !! The tooth will go with the door. It will be a quite painless tooth extrication affair. I know... I had it done when I was little. My Mami Ela helped me. No big deal.

Umar looked skeptical but was gamed to try. You not scared, I asked because his readiness scared me off my plans for some reason. Yup, he said because he doesn’t want to swallow another tooth. “ It is yucky Mom. My tooth sitting in my tummy, “. I ho hummed after that and the plan was forgotten. Ee… takut pulak.

Anyway, to take his mind off the subject, I asked him about Azwan, if he is still bothering my baby. Umar had a delighted look on his face and said, “ Mum, he decided to be friends with me now. He is not rude to me anymore ! “ Really, I asked. Is it because you have stopped talking ? No, he replied, I talk just as much….

Hmmm……… have you guys seen the Volvo ad on the telly ? Where this guy fetched his daughter from somewhere and deposited her at the back seat, and the daughter all the while talked ? You remember he had to politely wait with the door opened, to wait until his little girl finished talking but she never did ? Well, that happened to us a lot. What did not happen a lot is where the father gave a little smile of amusement listening to his baby’s incessant chatter. We do smile sometimes but then I would say 60% of the time we would escape to our own little head, trying to get some rest.

We do not want to ask/order him to shut up because a lot of people warned us not to do that. It would stunted his brain growth, said one. He must be allowed to say his mind or later on he wouldn’t be able to articulate his thoughts at all, said another. Okay, okay. We are listening to all these advice. Okay, we are letting him talk….. But if he ever become a politician, I will put all the blame on my advisors !!

What is on Umar's shoulder ?

We went to our old house yesterday to get the mail. Dan brought the wrong keys and had to climb the fence to have access to the mailbox. As I was laughing and pointing at him, Abang Hassan from next door came to talk to us.

I like our old neighbourhood. The neighbours are friendly and their kids are good influence to my children. We chatted for awhile before Kak Yam, abang Hassan’s wife joined us.

Our kids go to the same school so we meet quite often. Kak Yam told me that Umar is such a busy boy. I was surprised with the remark and asked what she meant by it. Kak Yam said whenever she saw Umar, he would look like he is in deep thoughts. Sometimes, his forehead will be creased, Kak Yam said that depicts deeper thoughts.

“ You have a smart boy there… “ She said. I asked because his forehead is creased all the time ? Yes she said, because he is always thinking. He looked like he has all the problems in the world on his shoulder. That is good ?

At that, Dan smiled. “ Like mother, like son, “ he said. Hmm….

Into my Memory Box

Yesterday was a totally Italian affair for us. Lunch at Italiannies eating marvelous pastas in carbonara and pomodoro sauces. We had warm rosemary bread and fried calamari. At night we had pizza. And at night to Mummy and Babah had diarrhea for some reason.

Anyway, we went to Italiannies at the Curve and I love the Curve’s weekend bazaar. As we trawled the many stalls, we came about a toy’s stall. Hee…… ada aja. Titi saw the many pink bags and wanted one. I steered her view to the cheaper options of stickers and playing cards.

Umar saw Pokemon’s playing cards and grabbed one. It was only RM3 which I find quite cheap. Elsa was already holding a Disney Princess sticker book. I tried to entice her to take a stack of Pokemon playing cards too but she refused. Okay.

In the car, abang was happy reading and scrutinizing his cards and Elsa was flipping her book. Then I saw her tossed her book away. O-oh. “ Mummy, Titi nak card, “ she said, “ Tadi I kata I nak card, not stickers, “ Amboi, pandainya dia nak belit !!

Babah swung around to look at her. She saw Babah’s face and quickly looked away. Then she pushed on her ‘Repeat’ button. “ Please Titi nak card, “ over and over again. When we reminded her that she was the one who wanted the stickers, she blithely ignored it.

When we got home, everybody was in a sour mood. I tried to escape by running upstairs and talking incoherently. I was hiding in the bathroom feigning stomachache when I actually was just reading a book, I heard Dan hollered my name. I flushed, washed my hand a bit and found Umar and Babah at the computer. Babah had scanned and printed a copy of the cards. I was needed to cut them into shape.

Titi held them for about an hour. Then they ceased to interest her anymore. I pick them up one by one and put them in my miscellaneous box. My memory box. I will give this to her when she complains about her kids…..

Aiman pulak

Conversation I had with Umar this morning as I walked him to school.

Umar : Mummy, Aiman kan kat sekolah agama kan is very naughty lah Mummy.

Mummy : Naughty macam mana ?

Umar : He likes to ejek me, calling me names. He said I have bad teeth and I have a girlfriend.

Mummy : Do you have a girlfriend ?

Umar : ( Sighed and rolled his eyes ) No Mum. Dia saja - saja cakap macam tu. I want to tumbuk dia Mum.

Mummy : What ? No ! Never do that. Umar dah tumbuk dia ke ?

Umar : No tapi dia tumbuk Umar.

Mummy : What ? What did your Ustazah do ?

Umar : She was not in class yet at that time. Aiman duduk belakang sekali.

Mummy : And then what happened ?

Umar : I asked Tariq to help me and Tariq pushed Aiman away.

Is there something wrong with my son ? Why does he rub people the wrong way ? Azwan in morning school and Aiman in agama school. I told Dan probably because he talks too much and orang pun naik boring. Dan said because they are jealous of his good looks. I think he is darn handsome because he is my son but I don't think other people share my view.

I just wonder if he started it....

I will call the Ustazah.

Umar’s Predicament

Monday night, we had dinner with Dan’s parents at a restaurant in Shah Alam. My baby Umar was drinking plain water when he made a strangled sound. I looked at him and saw the clear water was tainted with blood. Umar opened his mouth and I saw his tongue was marred with more blood and there was a gap where his loose tooth used to be. Immediately I asked, “ Where is your tooth ? “ He couldn’t articulate a response as he tasted blood and a bit panicky. Dan and I rushed him to the sink and as he spitted and sputtered, there was no sign of the offending molar.

He had swallowed it with his water.

Being a real squeamish person, he was of course feeling quite nauseated with the idea of the tooth in his tummy. Being also told by many many people of his good looks, was very concerned about how he looked.

“ I am not smiling, “ he announced. “ I look funny… “. His Atuk laughed.

He was so upset he slept halfway through the meal. I suppose he thought he wouldn’t have to think of the incident in his head if he slept.

Elsa was having a field day. She kept asking us to show our teeth to check their presence. When satisfied that every tooth was accounted for, she will nod her head and said,” Goooddd……., “ When she came to Umar, she will just shook her head…. He he…

“ I want the tooth Mum…., “ He said, lips jutting out. Kata orang Penang “ dah chom dah….. “ When I asked what for, he said he wanted the money tooth fairy owes him. No tooth, no money. Hai…. Malas dah nak explain about tooth fairy. If he understood the reality of Santa Claus, why is it so hard to comprehend about tooth fairy ? I suspect because of the presence of cold, hard cash.

However, he was worried and I was worried. Worried about the presence of the molar in his tummy. I cooked up a thousand scenarios in my head and he was all queasy about it, both of slept fitfully that night.

Tell me, should I be worried ?

Weekends with my kids 3 ( ye ke ? )

On Saturday I withdrew some money from the ATM to pay for Umar’s piano lessons. As usual, 1 wants to slot in the card, the other wants the grab the money and then fought for the receipt.

The notes came out in fifties and Umar said he wanted one. I asked him what he wanted it for and he said just for keeps. I gave him RM1 instead and mula le muncung. Boleh gantung baju !!

Yesterday we went to KLCC sebab Tok Mi needed new shoes. When Dan’s mom heard we were going, she gave RM100 to Umar. “ Beli lah barang. Nak makan ke.. “ pesan Umar’s Wan. Umar menyengih gila and told me under no circumstances are we using the money to buy food. “ I want to buy something that is going to make me happy Mummy, “ said he. “ Oh really ? “ I replied, “ What will make you happy ? “ “ Something special that is exciting, “.

I suggested using the money for lunch at Chillies ( his favourite restaurant ) and he said he is still full and do not require anymore sustenance. Sombong betul. Anyway I told him that yesterday rugi aje dia muncung sebab tak dapat duit RM50 as today he was given RM100. Do you know what my son said ?

“ But Mom, I really want 4 Million, “

“ What do you want 4 Million for, “ asked his horrified Mummy.

“ I want to buy thousands of toys. Imagine how happy I would be !! “ Kebahagiaan di ukur dengan jumlah mainan.

Anyway, after he trawled Isetan for hours looking for the ultimate excitement that promises happiness, he declared he was hungry and needed Chillies after all. Sebab Tok Mi nya ada sekali tak boleh le menyekeh. Bawak jugak lah.

As usual we had to wait for a table. To pass time, we had a quick look at the TGV and discussed future possible movies. Spiderman came top of the list. After eating, we walked out of the restaurant and I was holding Elsa’s hand. She suddenly said to me, “ Tengok wayang ke ? “ I said wayang ? “ Ha… tengok Spiderman kan Mom ? “ Udah. “ No lah Titi, Spiderman belum siap lagi, “ I said. “ Tu.. ? “ She said pointing at the poster.

“ Oh gambar je dah siap. Wayangnya belum siap…. “ She looked at me, forehead creased. “ Okay, “ she finally said and sighed. “ Tapi nanti tengok tau… “ and Tok Mi laughed. “ Nati kita ajak Mamu Jat pegi okay ? “ “ Haa…… “ she said happily.

Hai…….

My Darling Titi

Waahhh….. sejuk hati emak yang ini pagi ni.

Elsa selalu boring sebab abang dia lepas sekolah pagi pegi sekolah agama pulak. So when Aida came home from her kindergarten, Elsa is usually whisked to Aida’s house to play. So it was our duty to pick her up after work at Bukit Jelutong. Dan was the first one to lose it. He told his mom to not let Elsa go there anymore as Bukit Jelutong is really far away, plus the traffic and the many traffic lights, it could be murderous to somebody who just extricated himself from KL jam. It was really an added misery.

If it was my turn to fetch her, I will have to use the NKVE until Bukit Jelutong. I flipped when I was told to pick her up while driving on the Federal Highway. I especially did not want to pass the stadium/Giant area as there was Singapore vs Malaysia match scheduled that day.

The traffic was horrendous. To add salt to the wound, it was my mengaji night. When I got to Aida’s house, Yaya ( Dan’s sister ) opened the door. She informed me Elsa was having her dinner. I told Yaya to please not allow Elsa to come anymore as it is quite far for us and I do not want to burden her. She laughed and said it is because Elsa usually throws a tantrum if she is not allowed to. Elsa kan….

She was eating when I approached her. I told her very sternly that she is not to visit anymore. She has to wait for her abang to come home. Menyesal jugak because I hardly ever get upset and raise my voice. But I did that day and you know, dia terus tak jadi makan. When she was offered more food, she shook her head to decline. She quietly climbed down the chair and took my hand.

This morning, Dan’s mom called me up. She said that she is going to KL and wants to send Elsa to Yaya’s house . I said okay and was wondering where the conversation is going to when she asked me to talk to Elsa and tell her it is okay to go. Apparently from yesterday they have been wanting to take her there but she refused. She said “ Mummy tak bagi ”.

I laughed and agreed to talk to her. I assured her that it is okay to go. Elsa passed the phone to her Wan and Dan’s mom told me she totally refused to go. “ Untung kau… Patuh betul anak kau “.

Ye ke ? Terima kasih…..

Teaching Umar

My father had always taught us to be independent. Not so independent that you do not anybody else, just enough to try things on your own first and beg for help when necessary.... he he. He had this ask the police task that he developed. He will stop in front of a policeman or police station and forced us to ask for directions. It doesn't matter if we already knew the way but we have to stand up to our fears.

So of course, any sort of torture that I had as a kid, I do not want my own little goats ( kid kan... anak kambing dak ? he he ) to miss. As it turned out my opportunity came last week. Saturdays Umar has piano lessons and being me, he usually did his homework 1 hour before class. When we opened his theory book though, something looked amiss but we couldn’t figured it out yet. As we leafed through the pages, we saw all the book’s stickers were pasted all over the volume, at all the wrong places. We both looked at Titi as we were sure she was the perpetrator. Tak mengaku tu…

Anyway, I had to make Umar share the blame, as it is his book and therefore his responsibility. I told him that I will buy him a new book but he has to do all the explaining to his teacher. He looked terrified but I told him Mummy couldn’t bail him out all the time. There are things that he just has to handle on his own.

Discreetly, I called his piano teacher up. She is a sweet lady, very soft spoken and I am sure she will not kick up a fuss. I requested her to do just so. She was very, very doubtful, but I pleaded for her understanding that I have to teach my son about responsibility and that things are not rosy all the time. He has to accept his mistakes and take it like a man ( or woman or boy or girl whatever ). Throughout his journey in life, 60% of the people he meet could be nasty.

So we went there, I bought the book and since we were early, he did the 3 pages that he was supposed to do. As I watched him, I was trying to imagine the words he will use, as seriously, I couldn’t articulate any explaining in my head with his very little collection of vocabs.

Anyway, as we were waiting, Deva a chatty 8 year old with huge vocabs came along and sat near him and as usual started to prattle on.

Deva : Umar I am going on a holiday to Bali. Do you want to come with me ?

Umar : Where is that ?

Deva : In Indonesia.

Umar : I have been to Jakarta. What is there in Bali ?

Deva : There is a nice swimming pool there Umar. Do you want to come ?

Umar : Is it like the pool in my club ?

Deva : Where is your club ?

Umar : Bukit Kiara.

Deva : Where is that ? Is it near my house in Bukit Jelutong ?

Umar : No.. It is further than that ….

Further ? He used the word further ? I was impressed as I am sure at that age I would have used farer instead of further.

Anyway, then the teacher opened her class door to let a student out and to get Umar in. I didn’t think that he will say it right there and then, but as soon as he saw her, he got up and handed her the new book.

Umar : Teacher, this is my new theory book.

Teacher ( segan – segan lah sebab I was there. Bukannya senang berlakon ) : What happened to your book ?

Umar : My baby sister ( looked at Elsa who in turn looked guilty) messed up my book and I can’t use it anymore.

Teacher : What is wrong with the book ?

Umar : She kan… took out all the stickers and she ……. ( mencari perkataan untuk lekat until I mentioned the word pasted, then glued ) glued the stickers all over the book.

Teacher : Why did you leave the book where she can take it ?

Umar : I didn’t !! I put it on my mother’s bookshelf and she went and took it.

The teacher at this point looked lost and I knew I could only take it this far. So I assured the teacher it would not happen again and that I will pick Umar up in 30 minutes time.

All in all, I applauded Umar for his bravery and for his choice of word. Messed up…. Good one. I was further ( note the word further ) impressed with his vocab when in the car on the way home, he asked me if the song we were listening to was jazz. I said no, it was just a pop song with a little bit of saxophone used. I told him not all songs with saxophone or clarinet is jazz.

He then said, “ Mum, rock and roll kan… they use the element of rock… “ Element ? I looked at him, rather impressed when he again put my head back to reality where he is actually 6 and very much a baby. He said, “ But I couldn’t hear the rocks. How do they play the rocks ? “

Hmmm…. Guna batu rupanya rock and roll…… nasib baik dia tak kata the rock is rolled down the hill to make a sound….

Kawin

Yesterday we went to stock up our larder at Tesco. As usual, both of them wanted to ride inside the cart. As usual when Dan and I left them in the cart for a quick grab of grocery, they started their acting.

" ( mock wailing ) Please don't leave me !! Mummy !! Babah !! Please don't leave us !! Wa......! " As usual some people will stop to look and stare, thinking they are for real.... Hmm....

When we got home as Dan and I were putting our shopping away, Umar told me to hurry up. He wanted to watch me play Sonic. I told him to go up into his room first and I will be with him shortly.

After a few minutes, I noticed that he was still in the kitchen, waiting patiently for me.

Mummy : Umar pergilah naik atas dulu.

Umar : It's okay Mum. I will wait for you.

Mummy : Tak pe lah. It is better if you go up first and prepare for bed or something.

Umar : No mummy. I want to wait for you.

Mummy : Why ?

Umar : I like you Mummy, that is why.

Mummy : ( smiled ) That is a very nice thing to say Umar. Thank you. But I have to do other stuffs first and it might take awhile.

Umar : It's okay. I will just watch you Mum. I just want to be with you. Is that okay ?

Dan looked at me as my eyes went misty. I hugged him.

Mummy : You will make a fine husband one day, sweety. I am sure of it...

Later that night, as we were waiting for sleep to come, he said,

Umar : Harith kan dah darjah 5 kan Mum. So lepas ni dia kawin kan...

Abah yang tengah pakai baju berhenti untuk tengok dia.

Mummy : What ?

Umar : Lepas habis semua darjah - darjah kan, kawin lah !! Harith dah darjah 5 so lepas ni kawin. Umar lambat lagi sebab baru darjah satu...

Mummy : Ermm.... lepas darjah - darjah semua is big school like Mamu Jat. Tapi lepas tu is doctor's school if you are lucky.

Umar : Lepas tu baru kawin ?

Mummy : Ermm... well I don't mind if you want to kawin while in doctor's school, but not before.....

Umar : Okay.... ( and blushed )

Mummy : Do you have a girlfriend Umar ? ( my sisters memang tak bagi langsung I tanya that question because he will usually cry, but I just can't help but to satisfy my curiousity ).

Umar : Mummy !!!

He he...

We watched the telly some more and he suddenly informed me in a very authoritative voice that mummy penguins will vomit food into their babies mouth to feed them. No suckling of breasts for milk for the penguins. I asked him how does he know this.

His reply ? " Mummy !! Darjah satu kan .. ? "

Wow.. the answer to everything nowadays...

Anyway, Titi on hearing that, said " Mummy, I want blah blah blah builceemm..... "

Mummy : You want brylcream ?

Abah : Nak buat apa Ti ?

Titi : Ha... builceemmmm nak tengok...

Mummy : Brylcream ? For your hair ?

Titi : Ha ? No hair Mum.... Buiceeemmm....

Mummy : Cakap betul - betul Ti ...

Titi : (Sighed) Happy Feet Mum.... ada builceemmm......

Mummy and Abah : Oh penguin........

Titi : Ha.... pengceemmmmm

Hai.....